Caterina Cornaro : Parry / BBC Symphony Orchestra, Giannattasio, C.Lee, T.Cook, Broadbent, etc (2011 Stereo)(2CD)

Caterina Cornaro was the last of Donizetti's operas to be premiered in his lifetime, and the only opera of his later period not to have had a quality modern recording. Conductor David Parry explains, The opera requires a prima donna with a wonderful voice, extraordinary technique and exceptional histrionic ability... The story is resonant and believable, a woman forced into a political marriage with a king who is assassinated, leaving her to rule on her own. This calls up from Donizetti one of his most deeply felt, atmospheric and dramatically truthful scores. Opera Rara's two-disc set is accompanied by a complete libretto with an English translation alongside an article and synopsis by the eminent 19th-century musical scholar, Jeremy Commons.